Countryside in the Test Valley

Opportunities for walking, horse riding and cycling are abundant in the Test Valley with highlights being the 44-mile Test Way and the annual Test Valley Tour.

The Test Valley is most famous for its fly fishing and the clear chalk streams of the River Test and its tributaries yield up brown trout, grayling and salmon.

There are also many beautiful churches in the Test Valley which can be explored on a countryside walk. Download a handy guide and explore the architecture and history of the parish churches of the Test Valley.

Market Towns & Villages in the Test Valley

The regions peaceful rural setting is dotted with pretty villages, lovely countryside and the market towns of Andover and Romsey.

In the pretty town of Romsey you can explore King John’s House and Heritage Centre, the magnificent Norman Romsey Abbey, and Broadlands, the former home of the late Lord Louis Mountbatten.

Andover is a lively market town dating back to Saxon times and here you can visit the nearby Iron Age settlement of Danebury Hill Fort and the Andover Museum and Museum of the Iron Age.

Don't forget to visit lovely Stockbridge, once noted for the sheep and cattle driven through the town on the way to Wales, which now boasts attractive independent boutiques, art galleries and tea rooms. It is also home to the Houghton Club, the oldest fishing club in England.

The Wallops are attractive villages skirting a small chalk stream and one of them, Middle Wallop, is home to a World War II airfield that is still actively used by the Army Air Corps and the Army Flying Museum.

Attractions in the Test Valley

Many visitors also flock to the small church of St Margaret's in East Wellow near Romsey, where Florence Nightingale was buried. Florence's family owned nearby Embley Park, now a school, and at the church you can see artefacts relating to her life.

Places to stay in the Test Valley

With so much to see and do in the Test Valley and surrounding areas you may want to stay a little longer. There’s plenty of places to stay in the Test Valley with a selection of hotels, quaint B&B’s and superb self catering.